The Hindu Business Line : Baby with bathwater

THE Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, in a fit of peeve over the criticism on the induction of representatives of foreign consultancy firms and multilateral lending institutions into the consultative committees constituted for the purpose of making a mid-term appraisal of the Tenth Plan, has thrown out the baby, the bathwater and the bathtub.

The foreign consultants are gone, and along with them the Indian members and the committees as a whole. Since his move follows a long meeting with the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, it can be presumed that it has his approval as well.

Dr Ahluwalia's over-reaction, and Dr Singh's endorsement of it, do little credit to either.

It is almost tantamount to an act of spite against critics simply because they dared to raise an issue of legitimate concern.

It was not only the Left parties, but large numbers of persons all over the country, regardless of political affiliations, and knowledgeable in ways in which foreign interests operate, who had expressed their opposition to the formal appointment of foreign consultants to internal committees of a government body like the Planning Commission, which also has the status of the Ministry of Planning, and processes proposals and reviews policies relating to all other Ministries.

It is very much like the Cabinet Secretariat and the Prime Minister's Office, in the sense of being at the centre of activities involving sensitive and vital information and data.

Instead of undoing what he should not have done in the first place, and then removing all the members of the committee, Dr Ahluwalia's solution seemed an act short of grace, and unbecoming of persons in high stations.

If the Prime Minister and the Deputy Chairman are not to lose the people's esteem, amends must be made by restoring the committees, of course without the foreign consultants.

It may not be wise to allow the impression to gain ground that keeping foreign consultants in good humour and in the good books of the Government matters more than national interest.

B. S. Raghavan

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